Prize was taken away, 'winner' of home says

Newspaper agency, builder cite 'malfunction'

Sara Burnett, Rocky Mountain News

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Veronica Baca stood at midfield before a recent Broncos game, one of three lucky finalists with a chance to win a new house.

Three doors stood before them. The crowd counted down — "3, 2, 1" — and each finalist put a key in a door, hoping theirs would unlock the grand prize.

As Baca turned her key, her door popped open.

Fireworks erupted above her, and cheerleaders swarmed.

"I couldn't believe it," the 63-year-old Lakewood woman said Monday.

Soon Baca and her husband, Carlos, 70, found themselves in a suite celebrating with officials from Centex Homes and the Denver Newspaper Agency, sponsors of the contest. On their shirts they wore name tags with "Centex Winner" and "Winner's Guest."

Two days later, Baca's picture appeared in Rocky Mountain News and The Denver Post and as part of an ad declaring "I won a new home worth over $200,000!"

Then last Wednesday — three days after the Bacas celebrated their win, and about an hour before they were scheduled to close on the house — they received a phone call.

Another finalist said her key had opened her door as well, the Centex home official said, according to the Bacas. Amid all of the excitement and fireworks surrounding Baca — no fireworks went off over the other contestant's door — it appears that no official immediately had questioned the outcome.

Now Centex and the DNA, which handles business operations for the Rocky and the Post, say they have declared the other woman, Paula Hankins, of Lakewood, the winner through a secondary drawing.

In a joint statement, the companies said that all contestants agreed before the event that in the case of a "malfunction," a random drawing would determine the outcome. They also said that no contract was written for the home because the results were in question.

"Centex Homes and the Denver Newspaper Agency have tried to achieve the fairest possible outcome according to the rules established for the promotion," they said.

The Bacas, who have lived in their Lakewood home 35 years, said they are crushed. They have hired an attorney who plans to file a lawsuit this week.

"Who gives you a house, a brand new house, and then takes it away from you?" Veronica Baca said. "It's unbelievable."

The couple agree that they signed the form, but they said it was not a "lock malfunction," but likely human error, that caused the controversy. They said it should have been dealt with before the celebration in the suite, and before the newspaper ads declared Baca the winner.

Before learning of the controversy, the Bacas were allowed to tour their new, furnished Brighton four-bedroom. They took family pictures inside it, even started to pack for the big move.

On the living room table of their Lakewood home Monday, there still sat an unopened bottle of champagne with a "Congratulations!" balloon tied to it — a housewarming gift from Carlos' brother.

"We were up here," said Carlos Baca, a former heavy-machinery operator for the city of Denver, holding one hand high in the air.

They hold no ill will toward Hankins, but say they wish they never had entered the contest — filling out as many entry forms as possible between August and October.

"It was a dream," Veronica Baca said. "And now it's become a nightmare."

burnetts@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5343